TE AUTE CONFERENCE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 8421, 21 January 1899, Page 3

TE AUTE CONFERENCE.

Somewhat late in the day, a correspondent sends us from Auckland the following fuller account of the third annual conference of the Te Aute College Students' Association, held sit Taumata-o-Mihi, Tiiparoa, a few weeks back :— The Conference was held at this large Maori centre by special invitation signed by about 70 chiefs, and the General Committee of the Association willingly acceded to the request. It was a bold experiment to transplant Te Ante College, as it were, right into the middle of Maoridom, there txfearry on its work in the bright light of curiosity and intelligent criticism. The ordinary school routine and discipline were observed as far as they could be under the altered conditions, the sittings of the Conference taking the ordinary school hours. Whether in the meetinghouse, in the church, in the kitchen, or by the wood-yard, on the " marae" where a little gardening and some tidying-up were required, out in the open where sports and military drill might be indulged in, the visiting students past and present had each a lesson to leach their hosts, and great was the admiration expressed by all, and warm the appreciation of the work that the Association had commenced. The experiment was an undoubted success, and will bear repetition in other Maori centres. There were present about 33 students of Te Aute, past and present, with the Yen. Archdeacon S. Williams (President of the Association), Rev. A. F. Williams (in charge of Church of England mission work in the Hawke's Bay district), and Mr J. Thornton (principal of Te Auto College, and lion, secretary to the Association). There were at the most about 300 Natives present, including all the prominent chiefs (with few exceptions) from Tokomaru to the East Cape. The proceedings were in Maori, and the chiefs present took nn active and intelligent part in the debates and discussions. The following addresses were given to introduce subjects for discussion : — 1. "The Decline of the Maori People: The Causes and Remedies," by Mr P. H. Buck, dux of the College for 1898. Mr Buck was of opinion that the ultimate cause of the decline was ignorance in various forms, and the remedy should be education in the widest sense. He advocated compulsory education, greater facilities for entering the university colleges, and the establishment of a technical school. Resolutions were passed, adopting some of the main proposals of the address, and urging upon the Government the immediate necessity of establishing a technical school for Maori boys. 2. "Maori Population Statistics," by Mr A. T. Ngata. This was a review of the Maori census reports for the last 3S yeais, which slio.w that the total decrease in the numbers of the race during that period was 10,200, or at the rale of 4-2(5 per annum. The physical causes were well ascertained, and might be reduced to the following six :— (n) Excessive infantile mortality; CO debauchery of parents, causing sterility or weakness in the offspring ; (c) tolnuigas, and want of proper care and nursing of the sick ; (rf) sterility of the women, induced by immorality

when very young ; (i.i partial adoption of European costume and habits, and. continued reversion to the costume and habits

of savagery, tending to Menken the constitution, and especially to induce pulmonary diseases : (/') to a certain extent inter-tribal marriages, and marriages of very near relatives. The address gave rise" to much discussion, and the opinions expressed therein were endorsed by the Natives present. 3. "Thirteen and a Half Ycnrs' Expori-

ence in the Wancanni and Wuirarapa j Districts,'' by the Rev. A. O. Williams : This paper related the writer's fixperiunco of mission work, and its bin den was an exhortation to the despondent that the dark clouds overshadowing the Maori people were not so black but. that a ray of liopo mii'lit not bo seen through them, and .i glimpse of better tilings. 4. "M.ioii Tolnuigas,'' by Mr Parairc iTomoana, of Haitmgs : Mr Tomoana Mrcpmrly condemned the practices of Maon tohungas in the Hawke's B.iy district. The d'iscii=sion that followed was the uio.it intorcstiiiL' and the most .miniated nt the Conference, the assembled chiefs relating pciMinal experiences and authenticated rciH'its of the practices "f tohmigas on the East t'ya.-t. It v>.is explained that the Government had taken the mutter up, and intended to enforce the law if applicable Id the case of Maori tohungas. A resolution was passed expressing the satisfaction of t he ciHifiTcnee at hciuing that steps would be taken to t-uppros "tohungaism."' ,1. "A Letter to tin 1 Bishops,' by Taulm Nikora, read by Mr H. Hei.

Other papers written for the Conference, but which, owing to wunt of lime, cuuld not in 1 icad, woie mi " Happy -Go-Lucky-ism,'" by the Rev. H. W. Williams, and on " Punctuality," by Mr W. T. Pi entice. Copies of resolutions p.iss,cd ul tlie (iisborne Conference, December ISiIT, ii:

favor of the extension of the local option principle to Maori clectens, of the teaching of the Scriptures in the native schools, aud of the more important resolutions passed

at this Conference, were forwarded to the Premier, together with a request that tho sum of £100 might, be dovotcd out of tho native civil list, to assist the fund? of the association. A motion tabled by one of the native chiefs, on the subject ot the drink trMlii:, gave rise to a warm debate, wlicriu speaker after speaker deplore* 1 , the ruin that drink had caused, and attributed it to the present sad state of the people. On the morning that the Conference broke up a proposal to appoint a travelling secretary to Hie association was brought up, and occupied the greater part of the morning. It was generally admitted that some such officer should be appointed to carry on active operations in Maori district?. Eventually the whole question was referred to a sub-committee, which will probably report to the General Committee at Tc Ante in February. After addresses of farewell and a garden party, on Mr T. S. Williams' beautiful grounds, the Conference concluded, well satisticd with the results of four days' hard work. Much of the success of the meeting was due to the careful preparations made by the Rev. Krnera Kawliia, the chief of Tmmiatn.-0-Mihi, who, with his people, had erected a handsome building built with due rcgarl to ventilation and hygienic principles, at a cost of about £200. The Conference, at the conclusion of the meetiii<<, warmly thanked him and the other Ngatipoion chiefs, for their hospitality, and the hearty support they had given to the objects of* the association. A petition is now being signed on the East Coast, from Gisborne to Opotiki, asking Parliament to sanction the teaching of the Bible in the native schools in that district.

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